Category: Daily Prayer

“He did so to manifest His own justice.” –Romans 3:25 Mass Readings: October 19 First: Romans 3:21-30; Resp: Psalm 130:1-6; Gospel: Luke 11:47-54 Listen to the Mass Readings “Just yesterday, I was just just, just as he was.” The preceding sentence contains grammatically correct English. It shows the many usages of the word “just.” The sentence can be more clearly stated: “As recently as yesterday, I was merely fair, exactly as he was.” The English word “just” is just plain confusing. Similarly, throughout the history of Christianity, most notably from the time of the Protestant Reformation, the words “just,” “justice,”...

“I have no one with me but Luke.” –2 Timothy 4:11 Mass Readings: October 18 First: 2 Timothy 4:10-17; Resp: Psalm 145:10-13,17-18; Gospel: Luke 10:1-9 Listen to the Mass Readings When Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, Luke was the only one with him. Although Paul was on trial, everyone had abandoned him (2 Tm 4:16). Luke seems to have had a heart of mercy for the lonely and abandoned. Only in Luke’s Gospel do we meet the penitent woman (Lk 7:37), the good Samaritan (Lk 10:33), the prodigal son (Lk 15:12), Lazarus the beggar (Lk 16:20), the thankful...

“Greetings from Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called…” –Romans 1:1 Mass Readings: October 16 First: Romans 1:1-7; Resp: Psalm 98:1-4; Gospel: Luke 11:29-32 Listen to the Mass Readings Paul was very conscious of being “called to be an apostle” (Rm 1:1). He was also quite aware that he was writing to those “called to belong to Jesus Christ” (Rm 1:6) and “called to holiness, grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rm 1:7). Being called was so important to the early Church that the root meaning of the word we translate “church” is “the...

“He will destroy death forever.” –Isaiah 25:8 Mass Readings: October 15 First: Isaiah 25:6-10; Resp: Psalm 23:1-6; Second: Philippians 4:12-14,19-20; Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14 Listen to the Mass Readings Fifteen years ago this week, I received a phone call informing me that Father Al Lauer, founder and long-time author of One Bread, One Body, died. Father Al had been suffering from cancer of the liver. That same morning, Mass was celebrated in Father’s bedroom. The Word of God came to life in that Mass as today’s Scripture readings, which were also proclaimed in 2002 in the repeating Sunday liturgical cycle, proclaimed...

“Blest are they who hear the word of God and keep it.” –Luke 11:28 Mass Readings: October 14 First: Joel 4:12-21; Resp: Psalm 97:1-2,5-6,11-12; Gospel: Luke 11:27-28 Listen to the Mass Readings A woman exclaimed that Mary was blessed by being the mother of Jesus (Lk 11:27). Jesus replied that those “who hear the Word of God and keep it” are more greatly blessed. Many of us have been blessed with good health, great wealth, many children, beautiful families, fame, exceptional intelligence, success in business, power, abundant possessions, or countless other blessings. Nevertheless, none of these blessings can compare with...